Search form

What happens when 4,000 people gather together to watch a stage seated with a Tibetan Buddhist master, the chief rabbi of the British Commonwealth, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, and one of the world’s preeminent Muslim scholars — and the topic is understanding happiness? One enthralling discussion with plenty of great stories to take home to your friends and family.

Well, with gracious permission from Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion, you can see it for yourself with this front-row seat for a sold-out event in Atlanta on October 17. The conversation was electric and these prominent religious leaders were fully engaged as they contemplated the meaning of happiness.

Reflections

Thank you for this show. As usual, it got me thinking. In 2002 I had an experience of the "self" falling away, which in Japanese Zen is known as kenshō (this was later verified as authentic by a Zen roshi). The joy, peace, and freedom took my breath away. Yet after a few hours I found myself thinking, "Do I really deserve this?" Then the self came back, and has remained ever since. To this day I don't know why I continue to choose suffering over happiness every day. But I recently read that introverts (like me) prefer meaning over happiness. Maybe there's more meaning in suffering. Maybe that's also what motivates bodhisattvas to put off nirvana to help other beings reach liberation. I really don't know.

Greatest Gratitude to all who made this video possible to view...for myself and others who cannot travel for various reasons, nor sit in large groups for 2 hours, etc. What a gift to myself and this planet to have this discussion available on the Internet. I am filled with happiness and riches and blessings! Thank You!